Folding level and plumb.



W. E. WALL.

FOLDING LEVEL A'ND PLUMB. APPLICATION mu) JUNE 19. \914. RENEWED IULY s.

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W. E. WALL.

FOLDING LEVEL AND PLUMB.

APPLICATlON FILED mu: :9, mm. RENEWED JULY 5, 1911.

1,249,698. Patented Dec. 11,1917.

.79 I 4 M f 6 J6 lit ' I Specification of Letters latenti Applications! June 19, 1914,8efla1N0. $4 ,129. ma n m sj e 'z. Serial ,17s,7a.

To all whomit may concern:

a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and a State of Illinois, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Folding Levels and Plumbs; of which the following'is a specifiw cation.

Myinvention relatesto levels andplumhs" and more particularly to the type of folding levels and plumbs.

a g The primary object of my invention resides in the provision of that can beeasily and -havmg novel 7 adjacent ends thereof for pivotlng the sec a level and plumb quickly folded into a compact form for facilitating-the -carryge: the same from place to place in a tool box.

. (Another object of my invention resides in 7 theprovision of a plurality of level sections means associated "with the tions together.v

A'further,object of my invention resides.

inthe rovisionofa novel means associated ,with (t elconnecting means of the sections for releasablyholding the sections in a substantially rigid extended form, the locking means being easily and quickly disengaged when it is desired to fold the level.

A still further object of jmy invention re sides theilpr'o'vision of a device of the character described that is simple in construetion, eflicient in operation and one that a can'be manufactured and placed on the mar-- ket at a minimum cost.

Other objects as wellas the naturelchan "aeteristic features and scope of my invention' willbe more readily understood from A the following descriptiontaken in 'connec pointed out in the claims forming a part of this s ecification. Y

enirigtdthe drawings:- a ff: Fi {rel's a to plan v ew of my invention' nan extends" position;

is a side elevatlonal view of the same;

Figf3is anenlarged side 'elevational view a y iof my invention showing thesections folded;

Fi .4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevationa sectional view of the hinge members appliedto the reduced ends of the adjacent sectionsyand' e l Fig.[5 isa perspective view of the hinge connection, the dotted lines showing the (sections: a

tion with the accompanying drawings and- Referring more particularly to thej draw ings in which similar, reference numerals" corresponding, parts throughoutthe diflerent views, I provide a level and plumb l' which is composed of a plurality of sections 2 formed preferably of designate like or Wood, having reduced ends 3 for the recep-' tion of the hinge members generally designated 4 and 5. g Each of the members l consists essentiallyof a substantially U- in this instance Patented Dec." 11,1911; j

shaped plate, thevarms 6 and 7 of which are arranged in'parallel' relation witheach other and provided with uniformly Spaced, 'opemngsS for therece tion; of suitable fastening devices a for faci itating the securing ofthe same to the reduced" ends 3 in order i i I that the outer surfaces of the arms lie in alinement with the outersurfacesjof the sections 2. The vertek9. oftheinember t has a pluralit of uniformly spaced tubular earsv 1'0 exten' ing from one'endthereof and the opposite end at the point' of distortion of the arm 7 is depressed to provide arein this instance consists essentially offa substantially U-shaped plate, comprising spaced the securing of the same to thereduced end of the ad acent section in order that the :outer surfaces ofth'e armswill lie in aline- I ment with the outer surfaces of the section. One-jendof the vertex 14 of'fthe member 5 being provided :With a plurality of yuniformly" spaced cars "15 which are arranged in alinement with the ears lQ'and through whichears 10 and "15 1is passed a pintle 16 for pivotally securing the members togethen;

the otherend of the vertex is provided at its point of'distortion withja] transversely the sides ofthe' arm 13' of'the hinge member iextending" slot 17 and whichslot commumv, f cates with a longitudinally extending slot 18, the latter being positioned intermediate l l the point of distortion .of the arm l3 and the vertex 14 of themember '5'and in:

which ears islrotatably mounted a pin 2Q, the latter having rigidly connectedthereto a pawl 21, the innerendofwhich beveled for engagement with the beveled portion 22 of the vertex 9 of the member 4 carried by the adjacent section for facilitating engagement with the recess 11 therein, the other 5 end of the pawl is reduced intermediate its ends to provide ahandle portion 23 for reception at times within the inwardly extendin and tapering recess 24 provided on the re uced ends 3 of the section at a point in alinement with the slot 18 in the plate'13.

For the purpose of maintaining the pawl normally in alinement with the outer surface of the section and the. outer surface of the arm 13, I have disposed about the pin 20 positioned withina recess in the reduced end a coil spring 25, the opposite ends of which are rigidly connected in any suitable manner to the pawl 21 andthe pin 20.

For the purpose of protecting the free re-.

0 duced ends of the outer sections, I have rigidly connected to the same by means of suitable fastening devices substantially U- shaped plates 26. j 'Each of the-sections 2 are provided intermediate their ends with openings 27 in which are suitably, and rigidly mounted level tubes 28, the latter'being further held in position by means of the retaining rings 29 embedded about the openings on the opposite sides of the sections and secured thereto by means of suitable fastening devices. In order to fa-v cilitate matters when leveling, the tubes in some of the'sections are disposed longitudinally of the sections while in the remaining sections they are disposed transversely of the sections as clearlyshown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The operation of my invention is as follows: i V

Assuming that the level is in an extended position as shown in Fig. 1, all that is necessary to do is for the user to place one of his fingers (not shown) upon the handle portion 23 of the pawl 21 .and press the same into the recess 24 which causes the inner end of the pawl to be disengaged from the'recess 11 on the other of the hinge members. The sections are now bent upon themselves and the operation is repeated at the end of each section until the same has been completely collapsed and placed in a compact form. When it is desired to extend the level, all that is necessary to do is for the user to grasp two of the adjacent sections with his ands (not shown) and press the same into alinement with each other which causes the beveled face ofthe pawl to bear against the beveled ortion 22 of the adjacent member and faci itating the automatic locking enagement of the inner end of the pawl with iz he recess. The spring 25 which at all times holds the pawl 21 in alinement with the outer surface of the arm 13 in the section to which it is connected assures the locking of 65 the members.

j acent section for Although I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I desire it to be understood that I am not limited to the exact details shown, however, I

desire that great stress be laid u on the construction and arrangement 0 the hinge -members which have the locking means associated therewith forsecuring the sections 7 in a rigid set-up position.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawin s it can be easily seen that 'I have providIed a device that is simple in construction containing but a few simple parts that can be cheaply manufactured and assembled and when assembled can be placed upon the market and sold at a minimum cost.

It will be understood that the above description and accompanying drawings comprehend only the general and referred embodiment'of my invention an that various and without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention. 7

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1+ 1. A folding level and plumb includingv a plurality of pivotally connected sections, and Independently automatically operable latch means ivotal-ly associated with the adjacent ends of the sections for removably' holding the sections in an extended form.

2. A folding level and plumb including a plurality of pivotally connected sections, and a resiliently controlled latch pivotally mounted and embedded in the endof one of said sections and associated with the ad- I holding said sections in an extended form.

3. A folding .level and plumb including a plurality ofsections', means for pivoting the sections together, and independent resiliently controlled locking means pivotally associated with the pivoting means of the sections and arranged flush with the sections for detachably holding the sections in an extended form. y

4. A folding level and plumb including a plurality of sections having reduced ends, substantially U-shaped plates secured to the reduced ends of the adjacent sections, means for pivoting said plates together, resiliently controlled locking'means associated with the plates for releasably holding the sections in an extended form, saidlocking means being arranged flushwith the upper surfaces of the sections. 7

5. A folding level and plumb including a plurality of sections having reduced ends, a

substantially U-sl1aped plate secured to the minor changes in detail of construction, pro- 1 plates'carried b 6. A folding level and plumb including a plurality ofsections having reduced ends,

substantially U-shaped plates carried by the 7 reduced ends of the adjacent sections, means for ivotally connecting said plates, and a y. i resihently controlled pawl pivotall "mount ed. in one of said sections for detac able engagement with the plate on the adjacent section for holding said sections in an extended form, said pawl bein arranged flush with the upper surfaces of t e sections.

7 A folding level and plumb including a plates, one of said plates provided with a vrecess, and a pawl pivotally mounted on the otherof isaid platesand enga eable in said recess for removably holding t e sections, in an extended form.

i 8." A folding level and plumb plurality of sections, substantially U-shaped sections, means or pivotally connecting said plates, one of said plates provided with a controlled locking means movably mounted intone of said plates and associated withthe other ofthe plates for holding the sections in an extended form.

including a i the ends of the adjacent recess, a v pawl pivotally mounted on the recess for removably holding the sections ventin pawl rom the recess. l a

9. A folding level and plumb including a plurality of sections having 1 reduced ends,

substantiallyU-shaped plates carried by the reduced ends of the adjacent sections, a lu ra-lity of uniformly spaced ears exten ing 30 o otheriof said plates and-engageable insaid v from said plates, means engagingsaid'ears for pivotally connecting1 said plates, one ofv said plates provided wit a transverse, recess a pawl ,pivotally mountedon theothcr o i said plates and'engageable n the recess for I removably holding the sectionsv inan extended. form, and resilient means associated with the pawl for preventing aceidentaldisplacement of the-'pawl-fro'm the recess and holding the pawl inalinement with the plates.

Witnesses:

A. D. GIANAKAKEs, M. M. MAnoN.

Washington, D. G.

s 0 a In'testimon Ywhereofl affix my signature 7 1n presence 0 two WlllIIBSSGS.:

WILLIAM EL WALL.

copi u of this patent may be obtained forfive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of, intents, 

